Rx900

Hey, since i didnt have the vibration before, i never payed attention to our threads about the vibration. What exactly happens, i mean, does the vibration happen around 65-70 mph with 1800-2200 rpm? Cuz i feel it in the steering wheel, had a service technician test it (good thing he was a little bit experienced cuz he's been working for the dealer for 5 years), I drove it and had him feel the wheel when I felt it, said that there is a problem and that he's gonna get the part ordered from japan. I know this is a old thing but please post ur replies about this issue. thanx

Rx900

hey guyz, what do they EXACTLY do when they try to fix the vibration? cuz i'm having it done on tuesday, oh boy, praying that fresno lexus won't break anything else

nbfc

I have a 2004 GX470 it also has the vibration in the steering. According to the dealership who had an engineer out to look at it they told it is a characteristic of the vehicle. As far as i am concerned it is unsafe and it now sits in my driveway because my wife refuses to drive. The service dept. can't even tell me what is causing it. It has been looked at 5 times by 2 dealerships and a private mechanic. They all say that there is a problem but because the engineer say that it is operating as per design they wont do anything about it. I am now forced into a Lemon Lawsuit with them. I have asked for a new truck they told me it doesn,t work that way. I have shown them the TSB on the truck and they say there are none for my vehicle. Lexus is the worst car company I have ever dealt with regarding a problem. At first I justed wanted a mine fixed then asked for a new one. I even went as far as to ask for an RX all they replied was that is not how it works,sorry. Now i am looking for my money back. Im sure it is a great truck for those who dont have a problem but if you are the unlucky person who has one with a problem then you know what i mean.

gs400jon

Wow! You're not having any luck at all. There is no such thing as vibration in the steering wheel being a characteristic of the GX. My truck (9700E) has absolutely no vibration at any speed. Doesn't the TSB (there's a thread on a "List of TSB's" you must have seen) say the vibration fix is for the 2003 GX and includes the 2004 as well? Maybe you should email one of the GX owners that has had the vibration problem resolved via TSB and have his/her dealer call you dealer.

SacKen

If your vibration is so bad that you feel that it is unsafe, then you have a whole different problem than the one that has been discussed before on this board! The common vibration that many experience is more of a light humming harmonic vibration primarily in the steering wheel around 55-60mph. My 9700c has it and I plan to complain at my 5k. However, it is still less of a vibration than any other car's normal vibration that I have owed! Just the smoothness of the GX makes the slightest thing noticeable.

Also keep in mind that the quality of the *dealer* is the most important factor! Except for a few cases, the majority of the bad experiences on this board seem to be due to a crappy dealer, and not Lexus as a whole. I have noticed common dealership names popping up among those that have bad Lexus experiences. Find another dealer fast... good luck!

Rx900

You know what gs400jon, I didn't have the vibration before I had the "Clunk" fixed. I'm guessing it's somewhere really in the driveshafts. But since SacKen is also right, it was my dealer's fault that caused the vibration now on my GX470. I'm too lazy to have it done at a better dealer, next one's 100 miles away. That's why when i go to the Bay Area on Tuesday, I'll have a private mechanic friend of mine check it out, guessing he's gonna say the same thing, and maybe more worse results of this certain type of engine. Hope i can see that guy.

gs400jon

Hmmmm. This is the first time I have heard of the vibration starting after the rear drive shaft replacement. From what you say, it sure sounds like the drive shaft is the culprit and/or the installation. When I first picked up the truck and got on the freeway, I held the wood part of the steering wheel between my thumbs and index fingers with a light touch, to check for any vibration. It was mentioned on another thread that the wood part of the steering wheel is more sensitive to vibration than the leather covered parts.

The only GX problem I have had was a slightly sticky driver door handle mechanism, which the dealer corrected. The handle didn't feel as smooth when pulling on it, compared to the other doors. This is my third Lexus from Magnussen Lexus in Fremont. The other repairs have been to increase the size of the bolt mounting holes on the driver's seat frame on the ES330 (fixed a squeaky seat) and to replace the drink holder door on a GS400, which I sold when buying this GX. Oh, one more thing on the GX. The steering wheel was cocked just a bit to the right although the truck tracked fine. The mechanic wouldn't just straighten the steering wheel. He insisted on aligning all the wheels. which took close to three hours. It was interesting that they gave me an ES300 loaner when other customers were waiting to be shuttled to Enterprise, for free rental cars. Needless to say, I have been very satisfied with this dealer.

Rx900

Hey gs400jon, Is Magnussen Lexus one of the best dealers that can really fix a problem up in ur area? I was considering Longo Lexus down south, but seems that I don't go there often and I'm up in the Bay Area almost every month. Well anyway, post back ur thoughts and opinions about how Magnussen Lexus performs in servicing.

gs400jon

Well, as I was saying, what work was needed on my vehicles was performed very satisfactorily. I wasn't expecting much when I told the service advisor about the driver's door handle but they fixed it. And, I didn't expect them to go through the entire alignment process. They do acknowledge the "thunk" problems for sure and in fact, they have a list of VINs that will require rear drive shaft replacement. I haven't asked them about vibration. It would be best to give them a call first and see what they say about your particular problem. 1-510-657-6600. I haven't gone to Stevens Creek Lexus for servicing although they are closer. When I was shopping for the GX, their service department didn't have a clue about the "clunk" problem on the 2003's.

nbfc

The reason that i refer to it as unsafe is because when i asked both service depts. at the dealerships neither one can tell what was causing the vibration. Then i asked if this is doin this now at 2000 miles what will it do at 5000 miles or 10,000 miles and what will happen at that point and they said they dont know. So as far as i am concerned if they dont know why it is doing it, or what is causing it, then it is unsafe because they dont know what damage it is doing.

Rx900

have u had ur dealer open up down there to check out the vibration? Cuz if they haven't opened up anything in the driveshaft area, then it's safe to use ur gx. Mine has been opened up, because if it wasn't for the fixing of the "clunk", the vibration wouldn't come up. I remember my dealer telling me "It's gonna take longer because the front driveshaft now is shaking." I was like "What?" Then Lexus USA paid a visit to my dealer, said that it was ok, and there is no shaking. "NOPE, WRONG" There is a problem, which is the vibration. So, it's safe to use it, especially in town only, and besides, try to enjoy ur gx without thinking of the problem!

Rx900

Thanx, I'll keep that number in mind. I'm going to see how Fresno Lexus did on fixing my vibration today, so far so good. They also maybe fixed the "clunk" maybe 100%, since the technician who did it had more experience than the others. I'll post my observations around middle of next week, when I pay a 300 mile test drive to the Bay Area from Fresno, just for a convention thingy, but hope that maybe it's COMPLETELY gone!